College - Author 1
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Department - Author 1
Agricultural Education and Communication Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Agricultural Communication
Date
6-2017
Primary Advisor
Megan Silcott
Abstract/Summary
In today’s society, there is a disconnect with the agriculture industry, agriculture schools, and the public. Students need to acquire soft skills to aid in furthering the agriculture industry through their careers. Overall, hiring managers found soft skills such as communication, leadership, ownership, and teamwork were missing in this new crop of workers (Payscale/Future Workplace, 2016).
College Agriculture Ambassadors advocate for agriculture, higher education, and their respective schools all across the United States. The Cal Poly Agriculture Ambassadors club provides leadership, communication, and personal development to its members through meetings, activities and responsibilities.
The Cal Poly Agriculture Ambassador club hosted the State Agriculture Ambassador Conference in January, 2017. This event aimed to bridge the gap and invite colleges to come together and unite as students. Throughout the event, ambassador groups presented workshops on areas to help other ambassador groups be more successful. A rotation process allowed participants to watch other schools present workshops. Participants completed a pre-event and post-event Soft Skills Assessment regarding personal growth. The LEQ-H Soft Skills Assessment instrument was used which has 24 questions to determine skill development. The results affirm the necessity of soft skills in successful individuals. The purpose of this project is to both show the importance and measure soft skills gained as a result of participating in the 2017 State Agriculture Ambassador Conference. The formative assessment will include a pre-assessment on their soft skill ability. Summative assessment evaluation will be the final results of the perceived skills learned. The result of this project should validate the reason and outcomes for future years of Agriculture Ambassadors conference success.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/agedsp/83